Van's Air Force
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Jacking up your RV
- Thread starter rv8r
- Start date
frankh
Well Known Member
Depends
For the A model at least.
In the hangar..use a HF lifting table with a few blocks of wood under tie down ring and jack away.
In the field, pa line boy $5 to sqat bent forwards under outboard wing and lift..Pull wheel and throw block of wood or similar under the axle..Fix tire and repeat.
The 2 seat A models are easy to lift this way but I never tried it on a taildragger
Frank
For the A model at least.
In the hangar..use a HF lifting table with a few blocks of wood under tie down ring and jack away.
In the field, pa line boy $5 to sqat bent forwards under outboard wing and lift..Pull wheel and throw block of wood or similar under the axle..Fix tire and repeat.
The 2 seat A models are easy to lift this way but I never tried it on a taildragger
Frank
N363RV
Well Known Member
Be kind...
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=35320
(Many thanks to IronFlight for a well documented, with pics illustration)
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=35320
(Many thanks to IronFlight for a well documented, with pics illustration)
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Kyle Boatright
Well Known Member
Bingo, should have thought about it first
Thanks, Kahuna....
BTW, how many landings do your tires take until you replace them? 300 on pavement did it for my left tire (right one still good, seems a drilling problem at Vans with the gear legs..)
Dirk
Accelerated left tire wear is typical. It is caused by engine torque on takeoff.
I rotate my tires to even out the wear.
roadrunner20
Well Known Member
I use the Handy Jack from Avery Tools.
http://www.averytools.com/p-913-the-handy-jack-eldorado-aviation.aspx
http://www.averytools.com/p-913-the-handy-jack-eldorado-aviation.aspx
Jack Stand & Muscle Power
I use Jack Stands and my Glute, Quads, & Hamstrings. First I position my jackstand in front of the wing near the jackpoint. Then I position myself with my spine along the spar, being careful to support my spine and pelvis on the wing. I am facing the center of the plane, outboard on the wing for leverage. I lift the plane with my legs and have a helper place the jackstand. I could probably do it myself if I had some foam between me and wing so I could extend my neck to see better. Use caution!
I use Jack Stands and my Glute, Quads, & Hamstrings. First I position my jackstand in front of the wing near the jackpoint. Then I position myself with my spine along the spar, being careful to support my spine and pelvis on the wing. I am facing the center of the plane, outboard on the wing for leverage. I lift the plane with my legs and have a helper place the jackstand. I could probably do it myself if I had some foam between me and wing so I could extend my neck to see better. Use caution!
Trannyplane jack,........
Probably not the cheapest but certainly the easiest. Simple transmission jack from HF with pad under the wing spar. 1200 pounds as I remember it.
Bill S
7a almost there
Probably not the cheapest but certainly the easiest. Simple transmission jack from HF with pad under the wing spar. 1200 pounds as I remember it.
Bill S
7a almost there
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More solutions from HF
I bought a 93116 table from Harbor Freight, on sale for $199, vice $249 regular. It is a 1000 pound capacity table, on large wheels with brakes, and an easy foot pedal to lift the table. It is very substantial (about 180 pounds) and moves easily. I pad the table top with some old construction phase seat cushions, and roll the table under the spar at/adjacent to the tiedown ring hole, and then lift the table to lift the plane. VERY stable. And the table goes to 36 inches, allowing more than enough elevation to float the gear leg.
Best of all, I can use the table for other purposes rather than having to store jacks or transmission lifts until the next tire/brake task. This is a cheap and effective solution that provides a lot of utility other than serving as a jack.
FYI, HF has a smaller table, lift capacity of 850# (as I recall) but it is priced at $179 and does not go to the same height. It would to the job with additional padding/blocking, not be as convenient, and save only $20.
Mike
Probably not the cheapest but certainly the easiest. Simple transmission jack from HF with pad under the wing spar. 1200 pounds as I remember it.
Bill S
7a almost there
I bought a 93116 table from Harbor Freight, on sale for $199, vice $249 regular. It is a 1000 pound capacity table, on large wheels with brakes, and an easy foot pedal to lift the table. It is very substantial (about 180 pounds) and moves easily. I pad the table top with some old construction phase seat cushions, and roll the table under the spar at/adjacent to the tiedown ring hole, and then lift the table to lift the plane. VERY stable. And the table goes to 36 inches, allowing more than enough elevation to float the gear leg.
Best of all, I can use the table for other purposes rather than having to store jacks or transmission lifts until the next tire/brake task. This is a cheap and effective solution that provides a lot of utility other than serving as a jack.
FYI, HF has a smaller table, lift capacity of 850# (as I recall) but it is priced at $179 and does not go to the same height. It would to the job with additional padding/blocking, not be as convenient, and save only $20.
Mike
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flyboy1963
Well Known Member
I don't know Jack !
...I used a variation on the Handi-Jack, which could also come in handy in the field, especially if alone.
-Block the other wheels securely.
-Put something like a cinderblock on end behind the tire.
-set a 5'-6' long 2x4 on it.
-tie a rope snug around the axle and the 2x4, ensuring the rope will not push on the brake line when under tension.
-Set a jack-stand or another block in front of the tire, and wire the 2x4 to the slider of the jackstand.
-do a proper squat lift with your back straight, and the jackstand will click up as you raise the tire clear of the ground, giving you easy access to the brakes,
wheel etc.
...I used a variation on the Handi-Jack, which could also come in handy in the field, especially if alone.
-Block the other wheels securely.
-Put something like a cinderblock on end behind the tire.
-set a 5'-6' long 2x4 on it.
-tie a rope snug around the axle and the 2x4, ensuring the rope will not push on the brake line when under tension.
-Set a jack-stand or another block in front of the tire, and wire the 2x4 to the slider of the jackstand.
-do a proper squat lift with your back straight, and the jackstand will click up as you raise the tire clear of the ground, giving you easy access to the brakes,
wheel etc.
ArVeeNiner
Well Known Member
erich weaver
Well Known Member
You typically dont need to lift the entire plane - just one wing/wheel.
erich
erich
Mr Charles
Well Known Member
Easy
Took a small length of steel bar stock, turned one end to fit inside gear leg.
Pull off nut, insert bar, slide bottle jack (preferably one that has small V-groove on top jacking surface) under outer end of bar, leaving room to slide wheel off of spindle and onto bar. Then let spindle down on wood cribbing (4X4 block, etc., or could use small jackstand). Go to other side--repeat.
Took a small length of steel bar stock, turned one end to fit inside gear leg.
Pull off nut, insert bar, slide bottle jack (preferably one that has small V-groove on top jacking surface) under outer end of bar, leaving room to slide wheel off of spindle and onto bar. Then let spindle down on wood cribbing (4X4 block, etc., or could use small jackstand). Go to other side--repeat.
Sure happened to me!
I built two of the HF jack stands. The first time I tried jacking up my RV-4 with the nifty new stands I got quite a surprise... A friend and I were so busy equally jacking up each side that we failed to notice that the tail was reaching for the sky!
Solved the problem by tying a rope off the tail spring to two 50lb bags of sand (while the tail was sitting on the wood stand seen in the pic)
One other thing that works well is using two 1" sockets screwed into the wing tie down points using round head screws. The HF 'piston' fits loosely into the open end of the socket, and allows it to pivot on the round head screw, with no chance of the piston slipping off...
Tom
San Antonio
I built two of the HF jack stands. The first time I tried jacking up my RV-4 with the nifty new stands I got quite a surprise... A friend and I were so busy equally jacking up each side that we failed to notice that the tail was reaching for the sky!
Solved the problem by tying a rope off the tail spring to two 50lb bags of sand (while the tail was sitting on the wood stand seen in the pic)
One other thing that works well is using two 1" sockets screwed into the wing tie down points using round head screws. The HF 'piston' fits loosely into the open end of the socket, and allows it to pivot on the round head screw, with no chance of the piston slipping off...
Tom
San Antonio
RV8 Jacking
Use those tall jacks on the RV8 by putting them under the gear legs where they bolt to the fuselage.
Remove the inspection covers for the gear leg bolts and U brackets.
I made a cradle that straddles the gear legs and is trapped between the two U brackets. The cradles have a pin that drops into the hole in the top of the ram. Gives me a more secure feeling when jacking the plane up.
The gear legs are far enough forward that jacking there doesn't lift the tail.
Some jacks might not have the vertical hole in the top of the ram. If so you can drill a hole in the ram or weld a tube on the cradles that slips over the jack ram.
Ted
Use those tall jacks on the RV8 by putting them under the gear legs where they bolt to the fuselage.
Remove the inspection covers for the gear leg bolts and U brackets.
I made a cradle that straddles the gear legs and is trapped between the two U brackets. The cradles have a pin that drops into the hole in the top of the ram. Gives me a more secure feeling when jacking the plane up.
The gear legs are far enough forward that jacking there doesn't lift the tail.
Some jacks might not have the vertical hole in the top of the ram. If so you can drill a hole in the ram or weld a tube on the cradles that slips over the jack ram.
Ted
